19th Amendment Centennial Program GIRL SCOUT RANGER (Photo courtesy of the National Park Service.) Girl Scouts hiking in the woods. A Girl Scout troop poses for a photo on a winter hike at Rocky Mountain National Park. (Photo courtesy of the National Park Service.) Girl Scouts is a registered trademark of Girl Scouts of the USA, as is the Trefoil logo and other names and marks. Girl Scout Rangers at New River Gorge National River. (Photo courtesy of the National Park Service.) GIRL SCOUT RANGER 19th Amendment Centennial Patch Program he Girl Scout Ranger program invites Girl Scouts to participate in projects at national Tpark sites to spark their awareness of the national parks and Girl Scouting; to provide them with the opportunity to learn more about protecting our natural and cultural resources; and to promote their exploration of natural and cultural resources, environmental science, and conservation careers. Through the Girl Scout program model, girls Discover, Connect, and Take Action. As a result of cooperative and experiential learning, girls acquire skills that build courage, confidence, and character. In 2020, for the 100th anniversary of the passage of the 19th Amendment, which gained some women access to the vote, we will celebrate the advances for women that came about from the suffrage movement—and the key historical figures that led the movement. While the 19th Amendment to the US Constitution was a significant step for women’s civil rights in our country, there were still many women who were discriminated against and denied equal rights.1 As the nation commemorates the 100th anniversary of the ratification of the 19th Amendment, the National Park Service will explore the complex history and its legacy at the places where it 19th Amendment Centennial Patch Program 1 happened. From the young, immigrant women who worked the textile mills at Lowell National Historical Park,2 to the female shipyard workers at Rosie the Riveter/World War II Home Front National Historical Park,3 to the women who work to protect and preserve national parks, women’s history can be found at every park. The Girl Scout Ranger program encourages girls to learn more about the full history of women’s suffrage and the 19th Amendment. They are encouraged to think about their own role in the world they live in today because of advances made in the past. Participants will receive a limited-edition commemorative patch. 1 9t . h tch Am pa en on dm diti ent G ed e irl Scout Ranger limit This program aligns with the existing Girl Scout national program model and recognizes the Girl Scout handbooks and earned age-level awards, which include extensive civic engagement and history components and an emphasis on volunteering and serving communities near and distant from national parks. The patch program: ² Exposes girls to the rich social history that is found in our national parks in a thoughtful, and interactive way. ² Gives National Park Service professionals and Girl Scouts and their adult volunteers a fun and educational way to become more familiar with National Park Service sites so that both groups understand the benefits that come from working collaboratively. ² Encourages leaders and girls to go to environmental and history experts when they are seeking opportunities to work toward earning badges, Take ActionTM projects, and the Girl Scout Bronze, Silver, and Gold Awards. 2 GIRL SCOUT RANGER GIRL SCOUT RANGER 19th Amendment Centennial Patch omen in America fought for Wsuffrage—the right to vote— for more than a century. Organized efforts to demand the vote began in 1848 at the Seneca Falls Convention in New York. On August 26, 1920, the 19th Amendment became part of the US Constitution, and the right to vote in the United States could no longer be denied on the basis of sex. The suffrage movement faced many struggles often related to race and class. The movement was by no means settled with the passage of the 19th Amendment, which did not ensure equal access for all women, Girl Scout Rangers take the pledge. (Photo courtesy of the National Park Service.) including African Americans, Native Americans, and Chinese immigrants. The fight for women’s suffrage was eventually successful, Links to resources yet it was complex and interwoven with issues of civil referenced in the text and political rights for all Americans. See “Who Was can be found at the Excluded?: Women’s Suffrage”1 for more information. back of the booklet. As the nation commemorates the 100th anniversary of the ratification of the 19th Amendment, the National Park Service will explore the complex history and its legacy at the places where it happened. Women’s history can be found at every park. If you want to understand our nation’s history, come explore the remarkable legacies of American women at National Park Service sites. 19th Amendment Centennial Patch Program 3 A Note for Adult Leaders: Ask the girls to think about activities that interest them. National Park Service park websites describe the public interpretive and educational programs, along with various volunteer opportunities. Think about how these can enhance girls’ JourneysTM or meet badge requirements. Make a list of ideas for possible activities. The historic centennial in 2020 offers an opportunity to commemorate a milestone of democracy and to explore its relevance to the issues of civic engagement and equal rights today. As part of the Girl Scout Ranger Program, Girl Scouts can receive a limited-edition commemorative patch for their participation in activities that will enhance their understanding of the Girl Scout Rangers work together at New River Gorge significance of the 19th National River. (Photo courtesy of the National Park Service.) Amendment. For Girl Scouts: Get started! Choose your site. With the help of an adult, search www.nps.gov to find parks by state or to search on a map. If you are not near a national park, you can visit a National Heritage Area (NHA), a National Historic Landmark (NHL), or a property listed on the National Register of Historic Places (NRHP).4 Please first make sure the one you choose to visit is open to the public! Some NHL and NRHP places are privately owned. You can also try a museum or historical society in your community. If you are not able to visit, take a look at the park or historic site’s webpage. These are often full of photos, videos, history, and other educational resources. Many also have Facebook and Instagram accounts. Another great source of information is the National Park Service women’s history webpages.5 4 GIRL SCOUT RANGER Girl Scouts attend a National Park Service educational program. (Photo courtesy of the National Park Service.) Find out who was there. Once you’ve selected your site, complete one or more of the following to find answers to the questions below: ² With help from an adult, research the site’s web page. ² Visit the site and take a tour or attend a ranger-led program, if applicable. ² Look for books or trusted websites that explain the history commemorated at the site. Consider the following questions: ² Who were the women/girls who lived or worked here? ² What was life like for women/girls at the time? ² Did they have any rights? (Could they work? Obtain an education? Own property? Manage their wages? Did they have rights to their own children?) ² What were their biggest concerns? 19th Amendment Centennial Patch Program 5 ² Were the women who lived/worked here different from other women at this time? Were they free or enslaved? Were they wealthy or poor? Did they practice a religion? Were they mothers? ² Did the women who lived/worked at this site belong to any groups or reform movements? ² Did they have the right to vote yet? Would/did having the right to vote help them improve their lives? ² How have things changed for women since the time these women lived/worked here? ² What contributions are women making today to help protect and preserve this site? Taking what you know about women’s lives at this place: ² Do any of the same issues still exist? ² If so, what is being done (and by whom) to change things today? ² Do they use any of the same strategies today that suffragists did 100 years ago? 6 GIRL SCOUT RANGER Activities hoose from the following activity options to earn your patch! Or, if you have an idea of C your own, contact the park to coordinate. Call ahead—some parks may have their own centennial activities you can do. Color a Suffrage Cat! Did you know that the cat was a symbol of the women’s suffrage movement?6 In April of 1916, suffragists Nell Richardson and Alice Burke started a cross-country road trip. Setting out from New York City, these two women stopped in cities and towns across America to talk about the importance of women’s suffrage. Along the way, the women adopted a cat that became their unofficial mascot. The cat became a Suffrage Cat. (Photo courtesy of the National Park Service.) symbol of suffrage! Suffrage Cat is part of the National Park Service’s 2020 Links to resources commemoration of the 19th Amendment, marking the referenced in the text centennial (100th anniversary) of its passage.7 It was an important addition to our constitution because it can be found at the recognized women’s voting rights. Suffrage means the back of the booklet. right to vote in political elections. Find a new adventure with Suffrage Cat! Print this feline and add your own artistic touch with crayons, markers, or other fun decorations.7 Take your new friend to visit a national park or a national historic site.